Jesper Møller Nielsen :: 20 Cigarettes (Lotophagus)

This music tells of the passage of time, with sparse humorous and facetious tones punctuating the moodier ensemble. Each track is elaborated and designed as a subtle, sentient vignette in the mind of a daydreaming smoker and ordinary thinker who opens his soul and invites the listener to witness his hope, fear, despair, and intricate yet playful reflections.

A slow journey through existential wandering

 

French indie net label with a substantial production, navigating from lo-fi electronics and leftfield minimalism to noisy soundscapes and atmospheric alt-pop, Lotophagus Records offers here a new album by guitarist and sound explorer Jesper Moller Nielsen. The compositions are based on the spoken words and personal diary of multidirectional intermedia artist Jordane Prestrot, known for his essentially narrative-focused experimental works, often using poetry and irony as their main ingredients.

The album evolves as a slow journey through existential wandering, anecdotal and reflective situations. Each smoked cigarette represents a distinct personal life moment, suggesting a state of mind and various encounters with oneself. The minimal, deliberately rough-hewn guitar patterns are articulated around thoughts translated through spoken words, while various sonic explorations, effects, and processed field recordings enhance the album’s narrative purpose.

This music tells of the passage of time, with sparse humorous and facetious tones punctuating the moodier ensemble. Each track is elaborated and designed as a subtle, sentient vignette in the mind of a daydreaming smoker and ordinary thinker who opens his soul and invites the listener to witness his hope, fear, despair, and intricate yet playful reflections.

There is something in this album that evokes the literary wanderings and explorations of consciousness found in Italo Svevo. In itself, the music and its fragmented, bluesy melodies in slow motion suggest feelings akin to those found in road movies, notably the films of Jim Jarmusch. 20 Cigarettes is recommended for fans of desolate guitar microsounds, field recordings, and evocative, semi-improvised ambiences in the spirit of Loren Connors & David Grubbs, Western Grey, Luca Nasciuti, and Sqürl.

20 Cigarettes is available on Lotophagus. [Bandcamp]